'Piolin' Cancellation on Univision Radio Shocks Fans of Show

In canceling Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo's syndicated "Piolin por la Manana," Univision Radio has taken one of the nation’s most popular Spanish-language personalities off the air.

Sotelo, who as a 16-year-old crossed the border from Mexico illegally in 1986 and would become one of this country’s top-rated radio hosts, advocated for immigrant rights and built a strong following with his Spanish-speaking audience.

But ratings were reportedly slipping, and Univision decided to cut its ties.

“He was popular,” El Monte, Calif., barber and Piolin listener Juan Carlos Palma told the Los Angeles Times. “We listened to him in the mornings. He wanted to make you laugh. I couldn’t guess why they got rid of his show.”

Piolin listener Juan Carlos Palma agreed. “He’s a good guy,” Palma told the Times. “He fought for us. I liked that he would call to Mexico and let people talk to their mom or dad, who they had not seen in years. He tried to make life not so hard for us who just want to work.”

In his OCWeekly blog, Gustavo Arellano wrote that "El Piolin por la Manana" "served as the Mexican Pacifica Radio, a place where El Piolin interviewed politicians, doctors, entertainment personalities, but most importantly served as a daily affirmation for his millions of working-class immigrant listeners, those who didn’t want to bother with the histrionics of other Spanish-language radio show hosts but instead wanted someone who consistently gave shouts to them with his exhortation, '¿A qué venimos a este país? ¡A triunfar!' (Why did we come to this country? To triumph!)”